Manufacturing curved step wedges for ultrasonic testing in the oil & gas sector 

Custom curved step wedge (CSW) calibration blocks manufactured to support ultrasonic testing calibration of small bore carbon steel pipework for an oil and gas customer in the Middle East.

These wedges are designed to support the calibration of ultrasonic testing equipment used on small bore pipework. Due to the small size of some of the wedges, a £1 coin was included in project photos to provide scale and highlight the precision involved in their manufacture. 

The client required a range of step thicknesses to enable accurate Distance Amplitude Correction (DAC) curve generation. This ensures reliable inspection capability across varying pipe wall thicknesses and areas susceptible to potential wall loss. 

Our approach 

Here’s how we achieved success for this project: 

• Liaised with the client to confirm detailed dimensional and application requirements 
• Designed and manufactured curved step wedges to match small bore pipe geometries 
• Produced multiple step thickness ranges to support full DAC curve calibration 
• Maintained tight tolerances, particularly on smaller wedges requiring high precision 
• Completed final quality checks to ensure suitability for ultrasonic testing applications 

By delivering precision-engineered curved step wedges, the customer is now equipped to perform accurate and reliable ultrasonic inspections across a range of pipe sizes and thicknesses, supporting effective detection of wall loss in critical assets. 

Curved step wedge specification 

How we can help your organisation 

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your organisation’s calibration block requirements.